Knitting machine for producing carpets and the like



M. A. VITEK Aug. 6, 1963 9 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 20, 1960 oO v @Own Nm hw @Com oOON

ATTORNEY H m K m .oo. .o/)mwmmwmo W W Z A. a 23o@ 5 mmjomuz L W E C R A M www 2300 mhz-Onn D ImDJm So 2L 5x25 Aug. 6, 1963 M. A. vlTEK 3,099,919

KNITTING MACHINE FOR PRODUCING CARPETS AND THE LIKE Filed June 20, 1960 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 /N/ENra/Q MARCEL H. VITEK Aug. 6, 1963 M. A. VITEK 3,099,919

KNITTING 'MACHINE FOR PRODUCING CARPETS AND THE LIKE 9 SI1eec.s-Shee\'l 5 Filed June 20, 1960 l im mn [BY/WW1 M9944.

M. A. VITEK Aug. 6, 1963 KNITTING MACHINE FOR PRODUCING CARPETS AND THE LIKE 9 SlfleeizS-Sheei'l 4 Filed June 20, 1960 11W/Nro? NHRCEL H. VITEK Aug 6, 1963 M. A. VITEK 3,099,919

KNITTING MACHINE FOR PRODUCING cARPETs AND THE LIKE Filed June 20, 1960 9 Shee'c.s.-Sheeil 5 F/G. 4b

MARCEL IMHTEK Wm E Aug. 6, 1963 M. A. vxTEK 3,099,919

KNITTING MACHINE FOR PRODUCING CARPETS AND THE LIKE Filed June 20, 1960 9 Sheets-SheetI 6 MARCEL H- VITEK Aug. 6, 1963 M. A. vlTEK KNITTING MACHINE FOR PRODUCING CARPETS AND THE LIKE 9 Sheets-Sheel'l 7 Filed June 20, 1960 BZW w.

Aug- 6, 1963 M. A. vlTEK 3,099,919

ENITTING MACHINE FOR PRODUCING cARPETs AND THE LIKE Filed' June 2o, 1960 9 sheets-sheet 8 /N VEA/70,?

MARCEL A. wm

2EME

Aug. 6, 1963 M. A. VITEK 3,099,919

KNITTING MACHINE FOR PRODUCING CARPETS AND THE: LIKE Filed June 20, 1960 9 Sheets-Shea?I 9 Muff/vraiD MARCEL H. VITE/ United States Patent O Filed Enne Zt), 196i), Ser. No.

hay 17, 1959 Claims priority, application Germany 2 Claims. (Cl. 615-85) This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for manufacturing carpets and the like on Raschel carpet knitting machines, and is particularly directed to further aspects and concepts related to my co-pending U.S. Patent application Serial No. 809,665, iiled April 29, 1959.

Methods of and apparatus for the production of carpets on Raschel type carpet knitting machines are known in the prior art. In the known machines, three oscillations of the guide bars are required during each cycle of operation involving the forming of a row of stitches or of a row of loops or piles. In turn, this requires that, for the formation of one row of stitches, six stages of the pattern wheel or pattern chain, carrying the usual eccentrics and cams, must be used.

Due to the three oscillations of the guide bars or yarn guide elements of the machine dur-ing the formation of one row of stitches or loops, the operating speeds of lt-he guide elements must be very high in order for the three oscillations to be effected during the required time period. Correspondingly, this requires a very high acceleration of the guide elements from rest to full speed, and this causes, as a reaction due to the inertia of the guide elements, considerable tension in the carpet yarn resulting in a movement-inhibiting effect. As the guide elements must be oscillated three times for each stitch forming operation, the portion of the cycle time utilized in the oscillation of the guide elements is made as long as possible in order to eiect smooth operation of the guide elements during the oscillation to thereby attain a maximum speed of operation for the machine. However, due to the major portion of an operating cycle, involving the formation of one row of stitches or loops, be'ing used up or occupied by the -three oscillations of the guide elements, there is a corresponding reduction in the amount of the cycle time available for the shogging movement of the guide elements, so that the net overall speed of the machine is reduced.

It is the primary object of the present invention to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art carpet knitting machines and to provide a Raschel :type carpet knitting machine operating at `high speed and suitable for the production of cut-pile and loop-pile goods.

It is another object of the present invention to provide means conducive to the formation, during a single oscillation of the yarn guide elements of the machine, of the entire vfabric portion corresponding to one pile row, the pile loops being produced by a single shogging movement of the pile yarn guiding elements.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means ensuring the availability of relatively long cycle times for carrying out the oscillation of the yarn guide elements as well as the shogging of these elements, so that operating and oscillating times of the guide elements can be attained which are substantially longer than that of prior `art machines. The same is true further of the stroke times of other stitch-forming members. This automatically results in a lower mass acceleration and a quieter operation of the machine, whereby a substantial increase in the working speed of the entire machine is possible so that the production capacity may be increased to the point of doubling.

ICC

It is also an object of the invention generally to improve on -Raschel carpet knitting machines as hitherto constructed.

Briefly, and in accordance with the invention the guide bars carrying the yarn guide elements, or yarn guide tubes are moved, during one stitch-forming cycle of the machine, uninterruptedly through `a complete oscillation, the shogging of the guide elements being eifected in the frontmost and rearmost positions of the swing bars while the center line between the needles andthe plush points of the machine forms an acute angle of about 40-80 degrees with the tangent to the arcuate path described by the feeding ends of the yarn tubes.

The result of this needle and plush point arrangement extending at such `an angle to lthe tangent to the arcuate path of the yarn tubes is that the pile threads automatically slide down along the shafts of the plush points to the edge of the fabric when the knitting yarn is being laid, so that the pile threads which are guided past the needles all lie so low that there is no hindrance to the overlie of the binder yarns. Likewise, as the guide elements swing rearwardly, the filler threads engaging the several needles slide down the edge of the fabric along the needle Shanks so easily that resistance to the movement of the filler threads is reduced to a minimum. Consequently, the resistance which the tensioned threads exert on the knitting member is reduced, so that the formation of the fabric is subject to less friction, thus further contributing to an increase in -the overall speed of the machine.

The higher operating speed of the machine, according to the present invention requires a mechanically operated control of the guide elements. Consequently, pursuant to a further aspect of the invention, the guide elements are controlled by cams and counter-cams, or by slot cams and control cams, arranged on only one side of the machine.

These and other objects, advantages and novel features of Ithe invention will become apparent from the following description of a typical embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings:

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a cam layout diagram in which the ordinates show respective positions of the guide bartubes, needle positions up and down, plush point positions up and down and sinker positions in and out, and the abscissae show the angular positions throughout the cycle, the swing movement and the shogging times of the guide bars;

FIG. 2 is an elevation view illustrating the design of the cams for the forward `and rearward oscillation of the guide elements;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view, partly in section, of a machine embodying the present invention, the yarn feeding means being omitted;

FIG. 4a is a front elevation view `of the left-hand portion of the machine illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 4b is a front elevation view of the right-hand portion of the machine illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional View taken along the line V-V of FIG. 7;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of the control elements for the guide bar-s, as seen in the direction of the arrow Vl of FIG. 4b;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of these control elements yas viewed in a direction of the arrow VII of FIG. 4b; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a Vfragmentary portion of FIG. 3.

Referring to the drawing, the diagram in FIG. `1 illustrates the different positions of fthe yarn guide elements or tubes with the guide bars, the needles, the plush points and the sinkers during one :complete cycle involving the formation of one row of stitches. The upper portion of the diagram illustrates the to and fro swinging movement of the guide bars during one :operating cycle, with the shogging times of the guide bars being indicated above the lines indicating the to and fro movement thereof. The needles are schematically illustrated by the reference numerals 67, as to their up Aand down movement during the cycle, and the plush points are indicated, with resp-ect to their movement, by the lines 52. In the upper portion of the diagram, the needles 67 and the plush points 52 appear merely as lines because this part of the graph is intended to illustrate the swing movement and the shogging times of the guide bars. The guide bars are indicated at 18, 19, 20 and 2'1, the positions of the diierent guide bars in -relation to the needle row 76 and the point row 52 being illustrated. By way of example, the diagram illustrates four guide b-ars, of which 13 is for the backing, 19 for the pile yarn, and 2@ and 21 for the knitting yarn. The latter guide bars 20 and 21 are oppositely displaceable relative to each other. As Will be seen from FIG. l, the bars 20 and 21 carrying the knitting yarn guide -tubes are shogged kat substantially a 300 position of a machine cycle of 360.

The lower portion .of the diagram illustrates the various movements for the sinker in and out, the plush points up and down, as well 'as for the needles up and down. With respect to the representation of the movement of the plush points, the full line represents the movement thereof during the production of velour goods, While the dotted line indicates the movement of the plush points `during the production ,of looped goods. As can Ibe clearly yseen from the course of these lines, the plush points have to be lowered to a greater extent if looped goods are yto be produced, so that the loops can be cleared from the plush points. However, if velour goods are produced, .the loops glide downwardly along the plush points :and are cut lby the knife edges which are provided on the plush points.

In FIG. 2, there is shown one embodiment of an operating cam for the swinging movement of the guide bars, and it will be app-arent that this cam will produce only a single oscillatory movement of the guide bars during one revolution of the cam. It is possible to produce such oscillatory movement during a half revolution of the cam, and thus to execute two yoscillations during each revolution of the cam thereby to obtain two pile rows in the fabric. The same is true if three or four stroke movements are provided for each revolution of the cam. All that is necessary is that, for `the production of one row of stitches, an operating stroke must be effected by the cam. Thus, it is possible that, considering the diagram shown in FIG. 1 which illustrates the formation of one row extending through 360 of the cycle, if the diagram were compressed to 180, then two rows of fabric could be produced for one revolution of the cam.

Referring to FIG. 3, reference characters 11 and 12 denote the side walls of the machine frame, with the side wall 11 being shown broken away Ifor greater clarity. Longitudinal .beams or struts 13, 14, 14a and 15 interconnect the lateral walls 11 and 12, with the beams 14 and 14a mounting one or more partitions on the width of the machine. provision Vis made for additional 'base Supported. The beam 1-5 oscillation of a horizontal rocker shaft 22. Rocker shaft 22 has secured thereto iianges 24 carrying slide or guide members 25, 26, 27 and 28 of the yarn guide bars 18-21, respectively, as best seen in FIG. 8.

Referring -to FIGS. 3, 4a and 4b, the rocker shaft 22 has xed thereto one or more levers 29 which, through push rods 30, are articula-tedly connected with one or more additional levers 31. In Ithe drawing, these members are -shown as single members for the sake of clarity. Lever 31, in turn, is clamped on an extension hub 32 of a cam lever 33 so that it transmits, to push rod 30, the movement of a cam 36 or a cam 37 as developed by a cam follower 34 Iand a counter-cam follower 35.

16 depending On the opposite side, partitions 17 which are mounts bearing 23 for 4 Thereby, the oscillatory movement of the guide elements is lcontrolled 'by the cams 36 and 37. These cams 36 and 37, which are mounted on a driven shaft 38, thus comprise operating cams for the swinging movement of the guide elements, and are thus equivalent, in function, to the cam 10 of FIG. 2.

As shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b, the cam shaft 38 also mounts cams 39 land counter-cams 40, as well as cams 41 and counter-cams 42. The cam discs 39 :and 40 serve to produce cut pile or velour fabric, `and the cams 41 and 42, with their 'greater stroke, produce looped fabric. When using the outer cams 41 and 42, a follower pin 43 must -be actuated, so that the cam follower 44 and the counter-follower 45 ride on the outer cams 41 and 42. The cam followers 44 and 45 are mounted on a cam 'lever 46 which is connected to lever 47 .and hence limparts to lever 47 its .movement and -the movement of the cams (FIGS. 3 and 4a, 4b).

Lever l47, in turn, is connectd by an articulatedly mounted push rod 48 with a lbar lever 49 which is mounted on Ia shaft `50. A bar 51 is mounted on bar lever 49. Depending lon the length of fthe machine, several cam pairs are arranged with the associated transmission members and jointly drive the bar 51 on which the row of plush points 52 lare anchored in known manner. Thus, cams 39 and 40, 41 and 42 serve to control the plush points 52.

Opposite the driven cam shat 38 lthere is mounted in parallel relation to it, a second driven earn shaft 53. On this shaft 53 there .are mounted cam '54 Iand counter-cam 55, which, through cam followers 56 and 57, move `a cam lever 58 secured on la shaft 59. This movement is transmitted -to the needle bar lever y62 by means vof a rocker lever 60 which is clamped on the shaft 59 by a movably supported push rod 61. The bar lever 62 is pivotally connected to the push rod 61 and is secured `on a shaft 63. This shaft 63 is mounted by -a bearing 64 supported by beam 15, and is further supported Iby a support 65 anchored on the partition 17. A needle lbar 66 is mounted on the bar lever 62. Depending on the length of the machine, several lcam pairs with the associated transmission members are likewise used land jointly transmit the movement to the needle -bar -66 (FIG. 8). The needle bar 66 has fastened :to it, in known manner, the needle leads 67 provided with the respective needles.

The cam shaft 53 carries in addition a ca-m 68 and counter-cam 69, which are engaged by cam follower 70, and a counter-follower (not shown). Cam lever 71 carries cam follower 70 rand the counter-follower and -is movably mounted on shaft 59 for response ,to actuation by cams 68 and 69. The movement of cam lever 71 is imparted to a rocker lever 72 mounted on an extension bushing (not shown), connected to cam -lever 71, and, through a movably mounted push rod 73' connected to rocker lever 72, -to a sinker lbar lever 74. Depending on the width of fthe machine, two or more movement sets including oams corresponding to cams 68 Kand 69 are provided whose bar levers 74 oarry the sinker comb 75. On the sinker comb 75 there are mounted, in known manner, the sinker leads 76 provided with -the sinkers.

A motor 77 drives the cam shafts 38 and 53 through a chain drive 78, a transmission 79, la chain drive 80, and a gear 81 meshing with a gear 82. Due to Ithe intermeshing of the gears 81 and 82, the cam lshafts 38 .and 53 are driven in synchronism with each other by the chain drives 83 and 84.

As best seen `in FIGS. 3 and 8, the needles 67 and the plush points 52 are movable along Ia line forming an acute angle to the tangent 85 rto the arcuate path 86 of the guide tubes 18-21. Furthermore, land by reference to FIG. 8, it Will be noted that, las the yguide lbars 18-21 swing back, the laid threads slide down both on the plush points 52 and `on the needles 67. In :accordance with such angular relationship just set forth, the trick plate 87 is arranged lbetween lthe needles 67 and the plush points 52. The finished fabric 88 (FIG. 8), which is drawn olf the stitch-forming members by a driven draw-off roll 89 (FIGS. 3 `and 4b), is lguided along the trick plate S7. Roll 89 is driven by -a cha-in drive 91 connected to a worm transmission 90 which is driven from cam shaft 33 by means of bevel gearing 94, chain drive 93, and chain drive 92.

In FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 there are shown the partial views of the control members for eifecting the shogging of the guide bars. In FIG. 6 there is shown a housing 95 which is fastened -to the later-al wall 11 and which serves to receive and support a cam shaft 96, as well as a worm gear 97 fixed on shaft 96 and cam lever shaft 98. rThe upper part 99 of housing 95 lalso houses transmission strikers 100. The cam shaft 96 carries cam pairs 101 to 104, of which pair 101 serves to effect the shogging of the `guide bar 1S, pair 102 effects the shogging of the guide bar 19, pair 103 elects the control of guide bar 20, and pair 104 etects the control of the guide bar 21. The transmission of the cam strokes is elected, in each instance, by cam-followers 105, corresponding counter-cam-followers not visible in the drawing, and double-armed levers 106, having lugs 107, which engage in the `associated transmission striker elemen-ts 100, thereby controlling the Istr-iker elements 100. The Iother end of each transmission striker 100 has -secured thereto a plate 108 (FIGS. 5 and 7) provided with a dove-tail-shaped guide rail 109 slidably engaged by la plate 110, each secured to a respective guide rail or bar 18-21 by an element 111. Thus, the rails or bars 18-21 may be shogged by means of the striker elements 100 while being free for to and fro oscillation by means of the sliding guide arrangements S, 109 and 110.

Cam shaft 96 has secured thereto the worm gear 97 driven by la worm 112 secured `to rotate with a `gear 113 meshing with a `gear 114 secured on the shaft 38.

From FIG. 5, it will be noted that the plates 108 are located at two levels, a pair of plates being located at each level. Solely for the sake of clarity of illustration, FIG. 4b illustrates only one plate 10S, the other plate 108 being omitted in order to provide for better illustration of other features `of the apparatus. Furthermore, the shogging elements 100 `are all located at the same elevation. For this reason, compensating pieces 115, such `as shown in elevation `and in section in FIG. 5, are necessary to connect each shogging 'element 100 to a respective plate 10S, as the plates 108 are arranged in pairs, with each pair being at la different level. FIG. 7 illustrates only the lower plate 108 and, for this reason, only the guide rods connected to the shogging means 100 are shown, in FIG. 7, as connected to the upper plates 108. The guide bars connecting the shogging means 100 to the lower pair of plates are shown broken away in FIG. 7 for clarity of illustration. As stated, each guide bar has mounted thereon a plurality of yarn guide tubes arranged in comb-like `formation therealong. These yarn guide tubes are shown, to a relatively small scale, in FIG. 3,

6 but FIG. 8 illustrates the respective yarn guide tubes 18', 19', 20 and 21 to la larger scale.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

I claim:

1. In a warp knitting machine including a set `of needles, means for moving said needles, a set of plush points, means for moving said plush points, a trick plate interposed between the needles and the plush points, a sinker comb, means for moving said ysinker comb, an 'oscillatably mounted member carrying relatively elongated! yarn guide bars having yarn guide tubes mounted thereon, and means operable to withdraw formed fabric over said trick plate; the improvement comprising, in combination, rst cam operated means operable to oscillate said member once forwardly and fonce rearwardly during each lloop forming course of the machine; second cam operated driving means operable to shog said guide bars at each end ot the oscillatory stroke thereof; means mounting said needles and said plush points so that the center line therebetween forms an :acute angle of substantially 40 to 80 degrees with the tangent to the arcuate path of oscillations of said yarn tubes; and means interconnecting said first and second cam operated `driving means for synchronous operation; whereby the formed loops will be drawn smothly over sa'd needles and said plush points by said fabric withdrawing means due t0 such angular relation of the needles and the plush points with the tangent to such arcuate path lof oscillation.

2. In a warp knitting machine having the improvement dened in claim l, one of said yarn guide bars carrying knitting yarn guide tubes and the synchronization of said first 4and second cam operated. driving means being such that the guide bar carrying said knitting yarn guide tubes is shogged lat substantially :a 300 degree position of a machine cycle of 360 degrees; said first and second cam operated driving means being further so coordinated that said needles and said plush points are lowered sat such 300 degree position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 263,999 Truitt Sept. 5, 1882 1,924,649 Morton Aug. 29, 1933 2,200,280 Klurnpp et m May 14, 1940 2,892,331 Kelly June 30, 1959 2,907,191 MacCairay Oct. 6, 1959 2,931,197 Newman Apr. 5, 1960 2,944,413 Rice July 12, 1960 2,949,755 MacCaifray Aug. 23, 1960 2,953,913 MacCairay Sept. 27, 1960 

1. IN A WARP KNITTING MACHINE INCLUDING A SET OF NEEDLES, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID NEEDLES, A SET OF PLUSH POINTS, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID PLUSH POINTS, A TRICK PLATE INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE NEEDLES AND THE PLUSH POINTS, A SINKER COMB, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID SINKER COMB, AN OSCILLATABLY MOUNTED MEMBER CARRYING RELATIVELY ELONGATED YARN GUIDE BARS HAVING YARN GUIDE TUBES MOUNTED THEREON, AND MEANS OPERABLE TO WITHDRAW FORMED FABRIC OVER SAID TRICK PLATE; THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, FIRST CAM OPERATED MEANS OPERABLE TO OSCILLATE SAID MEMBER ONCE FORWARDLY AND ONCE REARWARDLY DURING EACH LOOP FORMING COURSE OF THE MACHINE; SECOND CAM OPERATED DRIVING MEANS OPERABLE TO SHOG SAID GUIDE BARS AT EACH END OF THE OSCILLATORY STROKE THEREOF; MEANS MOUNTING SAID NEEDLES AND SAID PLUSH POINTS SO THAT THE CENTER LINE THEREBETWEEN FORMS AN ACUTE ANGLE OF SUBSTANTIALLY 40 TO 80* WITH THE TANGENT TO THE ARCUATE PATH OF OSCILLATIONS OF SAID YARN TUBES; AND MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID FIRST AND SECOND CAM OPERATED DRIVING MEANS FOR SYNCHRONOUS OPERATION; WHEREBY THE FORMED LOOPS WILL BE DRAWN SMOOTHLY OVER SAID NEEDLES AND SAID PLUSH POINTS BY SAID FABRIC WITHDRAWING MEANS DUE TO SUCH ANGULAR RELATION OF THE NEEDLES AND THE PLUSH POINTS WITH THE TANGENT TO SUCH ARCUATE PATH OF OSCILLATION. 